I've decided on what ZAV I'm going to build, now to find a decent one!

I've decided I want a Jeep Cherokee XJ, from what I've read from previous threads, they seem to be robust, easy to work on and quite capable off-road with a few mods.

I'd likely buy the newest/nicest I could afford. I'll also likely use the car as a bad weather driver/hauler and occasional I want people to give me strange looks whilst driving vehicle.

How much can a healthy 4.0 auto 4wd tow? I'm thinking light bar, bigger wheels tires, big push bar, moderate lift, flat black/flat olive drab paint = win?

Tell me what else I need to know.

91 or better for the HO engine.

naxja.org or pirate4x4.com should get you started on research.

Probably can tow around 5000lbs but trailer brakes would be a necessity IMO. I'd expect to tow less the higher lift you have.

I make XJ bumpers and my customers have killed at least 100 zombies so far.

My wife has a '91 Cherokee that we use as an occasional tow vehicle until we get something better suited to this task. The brakes are a so-so when not towing and downright E36 M3 when towing, so I'd put on a brake controller if you're towing heavy stuff.

Heaviest trailer we've pulled so far was the twin-axle U-Haul "RV" trailer. Once cross-country, once from Vegas to Lake Tahoe. It did it OK, but I'd rather not do that again any time soon. Smaller trailers like a motorcycle/ramp trailer work fine with it.

They are pretty simple to work on IME, parts are pretty cheap and the 4.0 seems to last forever when looked after.

Towing would definitely not be a main priority with the vehicle, more of a "if I needed to for some reason" type of deal.

Guess I'll to get on my iPhone and log back in so I can see the pics.

jamscal, mind PMing what you charge for pushbars/bumpers. I was a bit shocked when I saw what a local off-road place charges for a front pushbar.

I'd also like to know what a front and rear bumper would cost for an XJ. Mine's an 89 if it matters. I don't care much about a brush guard. I like the bumper you have on that MJ.

Do yourself a favor and make sure the freeze plugs have been done. The ones at the back of the motor (one in the head and one in the block) require transmission removal. You can get the one in the head by pulling the head, but it's all labor intensive, and it seems like they all fail at some point. I made the mistake of buying my XJ with a bad rear freeze plug. So far, I've found the following kludges: no pilot bearing, shoe sole jammed between the exhaust and transmission cross member, old AC hoses doing double duty as coolant hoses, license plate for a passenger floorboard. I could keep going, but I'm trying not to get too mad.

IF you mix and match some parts you can upgrade the brakes cheap. Check for the early ABS models (@'94-ish) and swap out rear wheel cylinders for the larger ones that came with the ABS. You can also swap in the whole larger assemblies from the Grand Cherokee rear to get the larger drums if you have the smaller ones. Never had too much rear brake on mine, the fronts still locked first and wore at twice the rate.

Swapping in an Exploder rear axle is pretty common too, and is a heck of a strength and brake upgrade. With some $ you can do the Bronco 2 front lockout swap and get yourself some better economy as well.

I did some towing with my '98 XJ. I had a 8'x5' utility trailer with construction waste in it and it did fine until I tried stopping. Some people will swap the rear axle with one from an Explorer to get rear disc brakes and to keep the wheel bolt pattern. Lots of info on the Ford 8.8 swap out there.

Advoid rust like the plague unless you are good at body work. Cancer on Cherokees moves quickly.

I can't weld, but there's no time like the present. Soon as I get a jorb again, I'll be getting a welder and teaching myself how to weld.

i would stay away from the 00 and 01 models unless you find a really creampuff example (but then what kind of ZAV would that make?) as the cylinder head castings changed and they all too often crack eating coolant and requiring a new cylinder head. i hear you can swap a pre 00 with some modifications or a grand cherokee or wrangler 02+, but i'd rather simply have a good head to start with. 99 and before have distributor ignition too, for better or worse, though certainly easier. 97+ also have the somewhat stronger 29 spline axle, while most 96 and all 95- have either the d35 or 27 spline 8.25.

i just sent my rusty old 88 cherokee shell to the scrapper :( but while she lived i built a 4.7L stroker out of the 88 renix block with a 92 High Output head, swapped the noisy d35 for a free 27 spline 8.25, eventually lifted it 3" with 30" BFG ATs and found myself needing either a transfer case drop and axle shims but went for AvanceAdapters slip yoke eliminator kit (the ONLY mod ever on my jeep to only fix problems without creating new ones) i also put grand cherokee disk brakes and backing plates on when i put a No-slip locker in it (without problems even with lots more power, bigger tires, and a 27 spline).

i found a really streetable and reasonably flexy 3" lift using quadratec's HD replacement leaf springs, a 2" budget boost (front spacer, longer shackle, and 1/2" plate), and front v8 grand cherokee ZJ springs.

before she rotted out on me it was an animal in rough conditions and even without crazy lift it went really far with just the locker. plus with the disks on the c-clip axle and locker you can still get away from the zombies if they find a way to break an axle without losing the whole assembly out the end of the axle.

Only thing that will take out an XJ is rust. I still miss mine.

It's good to know they are that robust.

Wilber, so if you could find one the 98-99 seem to be the best years so to speak?

What happens when the head cracks? Coolant loss, no compression?

I have an '01 XJ with 140k on it and it has a slight rumble/rough-ish idle and the head issue has been in the back of my mind since I learned that it is common. Other than that, I love it. I get 22mpg on the highway on trips, it's great in the snow and it's perfect for getting to and from the trails.

I think even the rust issue can be remedied. My front floorboards are held together with license plates and pitch, and my hatch floor isn't far behind. Quadratec sells floor pans inexpensively, so I plan on just welding new ones in up front, and I plan on removing the rear seat and building a flat floor, so I can just replace that all at the same time.

It's a ZAV. I need room for gear, not other people.

z31maniac wrote: It's good to know they are that robust. Wilber, so if you could find one the 98-99 seem to be the best years so to speak?

they are arguably given the combo of stock parts. if i were to get another it'd most likely be a 91-95 for easy obd1 inspection reasons here in MA, but i'm also partial to the pre-restyle. but just to drive and mod without crazy drivetrain mod stuff i'd recommend anything rust-free from 91-99 without question.

My 91 XJ was good to me from 199k to 246k. To use it for towing, I made my own leaf packs out of 3/4 ton Dodge van leafs for the rear, which also gave it a nice 2" lift. I leveled it out with spacers in the front, and had Bilstein shocks all around. Using ZJ 16" wheels and 245/75/16 tires made a nice combo, and it towed well for what it was, except for the crappy brakes.

They are simple, cheap, readily available, and most of the driveline is very very long lived...takes a lot to kill a 4.0 or the AW4 transmission.

< -- 1993 H.O I have had it all the way to the Arctic Circle.

If Chuck Norris needed a vehicle (which he obviously doesn't because he teleports) he would buy a Jeep Cherokee.